The Next Right Thing
by LabGirl2001
Summary: Hawkmoth has defeated Ladybug and Chat Noir. Now what? Mention of character death. One-shot Song-fic.


This a one-shot song fic. And if you haven't noticed from the tags, there is character death mentioned.

I recommend you listen to The Next Right Thing by Kristen Bell when reading.

Thank you daughterofthewiseone and bugaboo-and-bananoir on tumblr for beta reading this fic!

I hope you enjoy!

I don't own the song lyrics or the characters.

* * *

_I've seen dark before, but not like this_

Adrien sobs, looking down at the concrete. Droplets of tears splatter on the ground. He doesn't bother to wipe them as they stream down his face. There's no point as they keep flowing.

_This is cold, this is empty, this is numb_

Adrien squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to ignore the sound of ambulance and police sirens. All it does is remind him of his failure. How he failed the people of Paris. How he failed her.

Adrien slightly raises his head. In front of him, he sees his partner, Ladybug— no, Marinette. Ears bleeding from where her earrings were ripped out. His ring finger throbs from where his ring was ripped off.

_The life I knew is over, the lights are out_

She's lying so still that Adrien can't tell if she's still breathing. As quickly as he can, Adrien crawls over to her, ignoring the pain in his legs and arms. Once he reaches her side, he reaches for her wrists frantically checking for a pulse.

_Hello, darkness, I'm ready to succumb_

Another sob wracks through his body as he realizes there's no pulse to be found. He lays his head on Marinette's chest, wishing for her to wake up. To call him her kitty. To tell him she's okay. To just do something.

_I follow you around, I always have_

All their missions as Ladybug and Chat Noir, him going along with her crazy plans, that won't happen again. Hawkmoth won. He defeated them. He'll get any wish he wants, while Chat only wishes for the one thing that's been ripped from him.

_But you've gone to a place I cannot find_

As Chat cries over Ladybug's—Marinette's—body, someone approaches her camera in hand. Alya had hoped to get the first scoop on Hawkmoth's defeat. Instead of Hawkmoth on the ground, she only had seen a blonde boy, presumably Chat Noir, crouched pathetically over something unknown. Creeping closer, Alya had seen that the boy was none other than Adrien Agreste. Even more surprising was the recognition of her best friend's body lying motionless on the ground. A gasp escapes her lips as she looked in horror.

_This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down_

Immediately, Adrien whips his head around to see Alya with tears in her eyes, looking at the body of her best friend. Shaking her head in disbelief, Alya starts to slowly back away, and then sprints a loud cry coming from her mouth.

Adrien watches her and remembers how this all affects more than just him. The loss of Marinette affects her parents, her classmates. Everyone she helped as both Ladybug and Marinette. He slams his fist on the ground. Marinette didn't deserve what happened to her.

_But a tiny voice whispers in my mind_

Adrien cries more, holding on to the different memories he had of his wonderful classmate and partner. He doesn't want to forget everything that she did for him both inside and outside of the mask.

_You are lost, hope is gone_

His everyday Ladybug. His light. His hope. His everything. Ripped away from him forever.

_But you must go on_

He almost feels as if her spirit is standing next to him. Understanding his pain, but encouraging him to move forward. Do something to stop Hawkmoth's plans.

"What should I do, my lady?" Chat whispers, not expecting a response.

_And do the next right thing_

A small breeze blows past his face, causing some leaves and twigs to be picked up with it. The breeze appears to point in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, where a dark storm cloud seems to be gathering.

_Can there be a day beyond this night?_

The normally blue Parisian sky is turning a dark red. It's clear that Hawkmoth is calling on the powers of creation and destruction. It's only a matter of time before he makes his wish and changes the world they live in.

_I don't know anymore what is true_

How could he even save everyone? He's no hero, even with Plagg by his side. He's just a failure. He failed to notice the wonderful girl Marinette was outside of the mask. He failed to protect her. He failed to save Paris.

There's nothing he can possibly do.

_I can't find my direction, I'm all alone_

Not without his lady by his side. She was his rock. His strength.

_The only star that guided me was you_

She was his light in the darkness that was his life. How can he do anything when lost in the darkness?

_How to rise from the floor?_

A gloved hand reaches out to touch his shoulder. Chat looks up to see Carapace looking at him with sad eyes. Behind him, notices Rena holding a familiar sewing case. The one Marinette never let anyone touch despite letting people use her other ones. Chat realizes that must have been where she hid the other miraculouses. Thinking about her cleverness, causes Chat to tear up again.

Carapace leans down and gives Adrien a big hug. Adrien returns it knowing it's coming from his best friend. He can feel Nino's own pain at the loss of Marinette, while trying to comfort Adrien.

_But it's not you I'm rising for_

After hugging for about a minute, Carapace rises and Adrien follows suit. Rena rushes over and gives him a hug too. The shared pain over the loss of someone important weighing over them both.

Rena and Carapace remind him of why him and Marinette took on their superhero personas. To fight for the people of Paris. To protect them. Giving up now when there's still a chance is not protecting the people of Paris.

_Just do the next right thing_

Stepping away from Rena, Adrien reaches out for the sewing case in her hands. The first miraculous he takes is a nose ring, the miraculous of the Ox. Immediately, Stompp appears next to him. Instead of saying something, Stompp notices the somber situation and remains silent. Adrien silently thanks him for it.

_Take a step, step again_

Grabbing the snake and the dragon, Adrien hands them to Nino. "Give these to Luka and Kagami. Then meet us at the Eiffel Tower," Carapace nods and heads off.

Turning to Rena, he gives her the monkey and the mouse. "Kim and Mylene," he tells trying not to think about when Marinette used the mouse. Rena gives him one last hug before departing.

_It is all that I can to do_

Letting out a sigh, Adrien turns back to look at the body of his lady. "For you, my princess."

_The next right thing_

"Stompp, horns up!"

In a flash of light, Adrien is transformed into his ox hero alter ego. He puts the sewing case in the compartment in his suit. Using his whip, Adrien uses it to jump up onto a nearby roof.

_I won't look too far ahead_

As Adrien jumps from roof to roof, he tries not to think of the coming battle. It'll be difficult, especially without Ladybug there by his side, but they can do it. They have to do it.

_It's too much for me to take_

Adrien shakes the looming doubt from his head. He instead focuses on reaching the Eiffel Tower without falling and hurting himself even more.

_But break it down to this next breath, this next step_

As he gets closer, he sees the other heroes gathered on the roof. Quietly, talking amongst themselves. When he lands on the roof, the others look towards him. Carapace and Rena give him a reassuring nod, and that gives him strength.

_This next choice is one that I can make_

Quickly, Adrien explains his plan to stop Hawkmoth to the heroes, knowing that every second wasted could spell disaster for the universe. Once he finishes explaining, everyone nods in understanding, waiting for him to give the cue.

_So I'll walk through this night_

Chat stands up on the roof, noting the even redder sky. He silently hopes that they're not too late. The other heroes stand behind him. It reminds him of Heroes Day, when him and a Ladybug first fought against Hawkmoth with their team. A hand reaches out and squeezes his. Adrien looks back to see Nino and the other heroes giving him looks of encouragement.

_Stumbling blindly toward the light_

Adrien smiles back, knowing this is his support system. They will help him get through all of this, no matter what.

_And do the next right thing_

"Hawkmoth! Your reign of terror is over!" He yells, gaining the villains attention. With his yell, the heroes immediately go into action to stop Hawkmoth.

_And, with the dawn, what comes then?_

The battle against Hawkmoth was relatively short, but Adrien suspected it took a long while based on the tiredness of Viperion. Once it was revealed that Hawkmoth was his own father, Adrien could barely look at him. He instead watched as the sky was turning from red to orange to yellow and stayed there long after the police had arrived to take Gabriel away.

_When it's clear that everything will never be the same again_

After what feels like forever, Rena comes up to him to return the other miraculouses since there's no where else for them to go. Not with any known guardian at least. Because the only one they both knew is now gone, with no way of coming back. Adrien starts crying into Rena's waiting arms.

_Then I'll make the choice to hear that voice_

"It's alright, Adrien. Everything will be okay," Alya says. The words help soothe him and he calms down.

"Thank you, Alya. How about we go somewhere and talk?" Alya nods and they two of them jump off of the tower in the direction of Alya's home.

_And do the next right thing_

* * *

The ghost of Marinette Dupain-Cheng watches as her best friend and true love go back to their broken lives. "You did good, my prince."


End file.
